Microsoft is finally starting to address one of the biggest complaints users have had for years: Windows using too much RAM. During a recent earnings call, Satya Nadella made it clear that improving performance, especially on low-memory devices, is now a key focus for the company.

Over the past year, Windows hasn’t had the smoothest run. Between heavy AI integrations, buggy updates, and features that many users didn’t ask for, frustration has been building. Microsoft seems aware of this, as it is shifting its attention back to the basics instead of pushing more features.

Microsoft wants to win back its users

During the earnings call, Nadella explained that Microsoft is “doing the foundational work required to win back fans” – strengthening engagement by focusing on core improvements. One of the biggest areas is memory usage. He says Windows should run better on systems with less RAM. This is especially important for budget laptops and older PCs, where high memory usage can slow everything down.

In the near term, we are focused on fundamentals, prioritizing quality and serving our core users better. You see this in the work underway across our consumer products.

With Windows, we recently announced performance improvements for lower memory devices, streamlined the Windows Update experience, and brought back focus to core features and fundamentals that matter most to our customers.

Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO

This doesn’t mean Microsoft is removing features. Instead, the goal is to make the system more efficient. That includes improving how apps run in the background, optimizing updates, and making sure the operating system doesn’t use more resources than it needs.

Microsoft has already started rolling out some of these changes. Recent updates to Windows 11 have improved performance on lower-end devices. Users are also seeing better update management and smoother overall performance. These changes may not sound exciting, but they make a big difference in everyday use.

Another important point is scale. According to Nadella, Windows is now running on over 1.6 billion devices worldwide. With such a massive user base, even small improvements can have a huge impact. This new direction also shows a shift in priorities. For a long time, Microsoft focused more on enterprise users. Now, it looks like the company is putting more effort into improving the experience for everyday users as well.

At the end of the day, this is something many users have been asking for. Instead of adding more features that slow things down, people just want Windows to be fast, stable, and reliable.

About the Author

Abdul Haddi

Abdul is a tech writer and Editor for PC Guide, specializing in all things tech, gaming, and hardware.